By Gina Horan
Bells Ring Out in Eustis to Mark Constitution Day
Community members gathered Wednesday at the historic Clifford House in Eustis to mark Constitution Day with the annual “Bells Across America” observance hosted by the Ocklawaha Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Civic leaders, firefighters and DAR members filled the grounds for a patriotic program honoring the signing of the Constitution in 1787. At 4 p.m. bells rang out across the property as a Eustis fire truck joined in, sounding its siren for one full minute.
Donna DiGennaro, organizer and member of the Ocklawaha Chapter, said this year’s observance grew to include more community partners.
“We had the fire truck join us in Eustis, and Mount Dora held its own bell ringing at the Congregational Church,” she says. “We also visited Eustis Middle School to talk with civics students about the Revolution and the Constitution.”
The program featured history, the Eustis High School JROTC and remarks from guest speaker Ron Campbell, who explained nuances about the Constitution’s early drafts and compared the significance of politics from the founding with those of today. His talk encouraged the crowd to reflect on both the vision and the humanity of the framers.
Florida tour guide Kelly Manke was on hand to help ring the bells. “The Clifford House is very special to me and so is this particular bell,” she says. A teacher and Ocklawaha DAR member, the location was extra special. “I used to be the tour guide here for Clifford House, and I was able to ring this bell when it reopened and again today.”
Mike Cross, Florida historian and member of the Sons of the American Revolution, emphasized the value of cooperation.
“The collaboration between groups is important because the girls do so many cool things, and sometimes the guys can pitch in and help,” he says. “It’s always fun to share these events with this community.”
The DAR was founded in 1890 after the Sons of the American Revolution refused to admit women, and the group was chartered by Congress in 1895. In 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Constitution Week into law at the request of the DAR, establishing the annual observance that continues today.
Photos by Gina Horan
Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
